How to Become a Fashion Designer

Decide which area of fashion design you like best. You’ll probably have to start from scratch, but you should still have some goals in mind about the type of design you’ll pursue in the long run. Do you prefer haute couture, utilitarian fashion, sportswear, popular fashion or towards more unique markets like eco-fashion? Each area has its advantages and disadvantages that you need to research before making a final decision. Within each of these major areas, you will also have to decide on a number of other sub-branches. You may want to implement a lot of ideas, but when you are just starting out, don’t force yourself. It is better to perfect your design in one area first, and then test other ideas once you have a solid foothold in the industry. For example:

• Women’s day wear, evening women’s wear
• Men’s day wear, men’s evening wear
• Men’s/women’s children’s clothing; youth costume
• Fitness/sports/athletic apparel
• Knitwear
• Outfits for picnics, adventurers, outerwear
• Wedding dress
• Accessory
• Casual dress
• Costumes for theatre, film, advertising and retail.

Lower ego. Think about your real needs before your reputation. Gorgeous outfits can’t make you enough money. If you’re going to be a fashion designer, you won’t be able to just make clothes for yourself or celebrities. Doing so won’t help you earn enough to live on because those people don’t make up 1% of the population. Even if you see famous names in magazines, it is just advertising, not reality. Things won’t turn out like that. Those who have imperfect bodies but still want to look beautiful really need fashion designers. Their disrespect will hinder your earning. In fact, you won’t be designing clothes for yourself, but for others.

Ask the customer’s needs. Let’s be real: if you live in a country with a warm climate, you won’t be able to sell ski jackets. You need to look around. What do people need and want? For example, if you’re designing an entire collection, you’ll need to make more tops than skirts/pants, because in general, most people own more shirts. For a change of look, a top makes a great outfit, while a pair of slim-fit pants will go well with almost any top. Keep it simple and practical. Lavish design sketches on paper always look great, but it’s the beautiful tops and jeans that drive sales far more than the evening gowns.

Make concessions. Casual fashion may not be as glamorous as prom dresses or lavish outfits, but it can get you far and make money. If you need to create an outfit that can be produced more than a hundred times, you’ll have to get it right from the start. This will improve your design skills as you will have an absolute understanding of the fabric to be used. Bad clothing styles will be lost and make your boss lose money.

Get inspired by your competitors. Observe and pay attention to the fabrics they use; their zipper size (so that their clothes last longer); fabric quality and its characteristics such as absorbency, comfort, breathability; the color that is in vogue where you live. Referring to competitors is not copying: it is observation. By learning the advantages of each product and analyzing them, you will understand more about the characteristics of a “favorite” outfit. They are often the best-selling suits. Your customers (whether they’re buying for resale or just a casual retailer) will want clothes that make them more beautiful. Gorgeous clothes are only worn a few times a year, and they can’t bring you enough income.

Plan key outfits. What are your absolute strengths in design? Maybe you design fashion accessories very well, or you are a genius at creating yoga pants. Passion and skills are essential. Of course, it’s enough that they match the tastes – which in fashion, part of taste is to convince buyers and the other part to recognize the needs of the market.

Formal education in the field of fashion business. To become a successful fashion designer, you not only need talent and creativity, you also need a deep knowledge of business and marketing in the fashion world. Stay on top of the latest fashion news by reading magazines like Women’s Wear Daily and Daily News Record. ^[2]

• Many fashion design programs include a course in marketing. ^[3] Some programs/specialties emphasize marketing more than others, so find out about the course project in the program of your choice. If you’ve taken a course that doesn’t cover finance or marketing, sign up for short courses in that area.
• Learn things beyond design. There is a whole supply chain related to the fashion industry, and you need to understand the work of each department in it, so you will understand their point of view so that you can compromise and meet the needs. and know how to organize things. Get to know the work of others, such as buyers, traders, pattern cutters, clothers, quality managers, graders, assistants, salespeople, PR staff, professional journalists fashion, retailers, event organizers, stylists…
• Customer understanding. This is a basic and very necessary skill, every fashion designer must not neglect this skill. Know how much customers are willing to spend, their lifestyle, how they shop, their likes and dislikes. Know what is an urgent need and which items can only be purchased when the customer’s after-tax income is abundant. If you have studied marketing, you will have a solid understanding of understanding customer needs.
• Understand your competitors. Always keep an eye on what fashion designers are doing in your field of interest. At the very least, keep up with them. However, it’s best to stay ahead of them while still meeting the needs of your customers.
• Trade shows are a great place to gain insight into how the fashion market works, and what is right for you in meeting customer needs and staying competitive.

Looking for fashion design jobs. There are many ways to find this job, depending on the type of design you like. In some cases, flexibility will help you a lot, so you can learn from the experience to engage in your true passion later. And in most cases, you will have to persevere in applying in many places to enter the profession. For starters, you can apply at:

• Renowned fashion design studios – look for internships, paid work-no experience, assistant designers…
• Position in charge of costumes for film crews, troupes, costume shops…
• Online advertising through online job brokers
• Get a referral – ask people in your industry or school to recommend you a suitable job. In an industry that values the words of their forebears like fashion, this is a great way to get started.

If you are going to start a business, always spend wisely. You may be an extremely creative person, but make sure that if you are going to create your own brand, you need to be business savvy. You need to understand the numbers and bills on your desk. If you hate that stuff, there are other options like tax accounting to take care of your finances, but it’s still best to keep an eye on things. And if you really hate taking care of your own finances, work for a fashion studio instead of running your own business.

• How will you do business? There are many possibilities, including: independent business, partnership, association… Each form has its own advantages and disadvantages that you should discuss carefully with your financial and legal advisors before proceed. Make sure you always have legal protection under all circumstances, especially if you live in a particular culture.

Be realistic. You may have to adapt to the market, but that depends on how you work and sell. Sticking to reality means you have to realize: there’s no point in trying to sell high-end tailoring to people who just want to buy conveniences in the provinces, similarly, you won’t be able to. sell swimwear to people living in cold countries. You will need to focus on the geographic location of your target market, whether you should live and work in that region, or how to deliver products from your current location to your location. easy to consume products.

• Consider external influences. Part of your fashion creation process is working with like-minded people and unraveling their ideas and suggestions. This will become more difficult if you work alone or with people who do not have the same fashion sense.
• You should also keep in mind that the weather also affects fashion design, and can affect both the type of clothing you are making and the location where you want to sell them.
• Consider the possibility of selling online. As long as you use good quality three-dimensional images so that customers can zoom in and view the goods from multiple angles, it is also possible to sell clothes anywhere online nowadays. It gives you flexibility in choosing where to live and work. In addition, your daily commute will also be minimized. It’s also ideal if you’re creating a small fashion brand. However, later on, you should still earn enough money to go to prestigious fashion shows.
• Living in a city with a thriving fashion industry is beneficial for many fashion designers. According to Global Language Monitor (GLM), the following cities are fashion capitals in 2012 in descending order: ^[4]
  • London, England
  • New York, USA
  • Barcelona, Spain
  • Paris, France
  • Mexico City
  • Madrid, Spain
  • Rome, Italy
  • Sao Palo, Brazil
  • Milan, Italy
  • Los Angeles, USA
  • Berlin, Germany
  • Mumbai, India